I’ve got a press release on "One of the Greenest Luxury Homes Ever Built," a home that is "sure to raise the bar for building green in the high-end market." Folks, in our day and age, why spend $2,000 per month on heating and electricity for your 9,800 sf home, when you can trim that bill right down to a paltry $350 per month? At a time when luxury living is scrutinized for excess energy consumption, why not build a 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath high-end home with a "small environmental footprint"? Seriously, with smart, energy-efficient design (read: 4 extra solar panels), you can generate enough electricity to run all 6 interior refrigerators. And by using recycled and reclaimed wood (where possible of course), non-toxic blow-in insulation, and low-VOC finishings, this home is going to surpass Built Green standards. Designers worked their hearts out to build the greenest home possible without sacrificing precious square footage, and this home could house at least four regular sized families by our calculations. You’ll be glad to know this hulking home, located at 995 Longbow Place in Larkspur, Colorado, is on sale for the very reasonable, and very green, price of $4.5 million.

Are we confusing the words "green," "sustainable," "energy efficient," and "small footprint"? You tell me, is this green?

Developer Tribeca Associates has chosen Brennan Beer Gorman Architects (BBG Architects) to design the overhaul of an historic 1910 warehouse building. At a price of $220 million, the existing structure will be redeveloped into 292,000 sf of office space, with 12 stories of new hotel space rising from the office pedestal. There will be a small portion of retail space and the hotel will be one of the few Silver LEED Certified buildings in the U.S. Located at 330 Hudson Street (324-344 Hudson) in the downtown Hudson Square area of Manhattan, the new structure will combine sustainable design and historic preservation in a powerful 22-story package. The iconic masonry exterior of the existing structure will undergo meticulous restoration, and the finished structure will include amenities such as event space, rooftop pool, sky bar, signature restaurant, outdoor terraces, conference center, and a fitness center. Via Wired NY.

The Tread Lightly House was designed by Garrison Architects for a site where the building footprint had to be minimal because of nearby wetlands. This modular house prototype touches lightly on the earth, demonstrating a different way to reduce the home’s ecological footprint and help minimize the impact of the built environment on nature. Prefabricated construction of the home draws upon an ecologically friendly modular design which is fast and easy to build (not to mention, offers the potential for saved energy, time, money, and natural resources). You can read more about this + other green projects at the Garrison Architects blog.

Here’s a little shout out for a brand spanking new website called ChooseRenewables.com. I like the website because it empowers individuals with facts necessary to live in a more sustainable way. Included below are images of my experiment with CR, but this is all specific to MY HOME ADDRESS. Every location is different, so feel free to plug in your address and see what it provides.

Recently, I wrote an article about the energy efficiency of the PowerPod, and now, CNET’s Martin LaMonica has a video of the first PowerPod demo resting in a defunct coal power plant in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Clicking the picture above will take you directly to the video. I really like the PowerPod. It’s modular, green, and very simple in design. The PowerPod could be used as a home for a bachelor or intimate duo, but it’s more likely going to be used as an office, vacation abode, lake cabin, or something like that. And as far as cost is concerned, with your basic residential green finish out, you’re talking about $100k for 500 sf. You can also view more info and photos at CNET.